Wednesday, August 25, 2010

TIME suggests Guyana leave Chutney music alone

TIME Newsfeed says it is noticing that there's something about Trinidad and Tobago's "Chutney" music that encourages people to consume alcohol.

It's an issue that Trinidad and Tobago's Foreign Minister Dr Suraj Rambachan raised last February when he was in opposition and hosting a daily radio show. And more recently authorities in Guyana have been paying closer attention to the "rum themes" in many popular Churtney songs.

Guyana's health minister has admitted that there's something in Chutney music that bothers him.

Lesley Ramsammy believes "the glorification of alcohol "in top hits like "Rum 'Til I Die" and "Ah Drinka" is not helping the government's anti-alcoholism efforts.

TIME Newsfeed reported that Guyanese drink roughly a gallon and half of alcohol a year per capita, and officials in the country are blaming rampant alcoholism for economic woes, illness and domestic violence.

One in five women in Guyana has been a victim, TIME reported.

Read related story: Feature: Guyana blames T&T "Chutney" for alcholism, domestic violence

The government has noticed a steady rise in alcolhol consumption among Guyana's teenagers.

Evan Persaud, chairman of the Advisory Committee on Broadcasting said recently that the committee is considering warning Guyanese TV stations against airing chutney music videos that promote drinking.

Ramsammy disagrees with such a move, which interferes with media freedom. However he is asking artists to consider setting a better example.

NewsFeed believes the Guyanese government should just leave the matter alone. "NewsFeed cautions Guyanese officials, though. If there's one way to make something more popular with teenagers, it's talking about how bad it is," it said.

Read more at Newsfeed.time.com

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Jai & Sero

Jai & Sero

Our family at home in Toronto 2008

Our family at home in Toronto 2008
Amit, Heather, Fuzz, Aj, Jiv, Shiva, Rampa, Sero, Jai